The Rise of the Crooner 1945-1975 - The London Swing Orchestra featuring Graham Dalby

The fourth and final chapter in the London Swing Orchestra’s comprehensive anthology of Jazz and Swing charts the rise of the crooner. Although crooners such as Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra had toured with band leaders in the thirties, it wasn’t until post 1945 that the vocalist totally eclipsed the band leader to become superstars.
From 1945 there was a distinct decline in Big Bands that had held popular music in sway in America: so many players were overseas involved in various conflicts of World War II it was difficult to keep the large eighteen-piece bands together. The difficult economic climate also made it easier for bands to survive as five-piece jump-jive combos that were a forerunner to rock and roll groups. Two such artists are featured on this album – Louis Jordan Is You Is, or Is You Ain't My Baby (1945) and Louis Prima Just a Gigolo (1956).
Frank Sinatra 'Ol’ Blue Eyes' had his career promoted by his 1930’s success with Big Bands such as Goodman and the Dorseys and his collaboration with Nelson Riddle in the ‘50’s is well represented on this album with classics like I’ve Got You Under My Skin and Come Fly With Me. Bing Crosby has just one feature from his 1956 film High Society Now You Has Jazz as does Tony Bennett from 1954 I Left My Heart in San Francisco. Into the early 60’s the velvety voice of the pianist/crooner Nat King Cole followed Sinatra into the pop world with a string of hits including Let There Be Love 1961 and Let’s Face The Music and Dance 1963. Bobby Darrin’s brief career as a crooner is marked by two huge hits of 1959 Beyond the Sea and Mack the Knife. The album closes with the iconic title song from Scorsese’s film New York New York before a 'lights out' trumpet feature from 1965 by Nini Rosso brings the anthology to a close.

Description

1. Beyond the Sea 2. Come Fly With Me 3. Let’s Face The Music and Dance 4. Have You Met Miss Jones 5. Fly Me to the Moon 6. Brazil 7. It Had To be 8. Let There Be Love 9. I’ve Got You Under My Skin 10. I Get a Kick Out of You 11. I Left My Heart in San Francisco 12. L.O.V.E. 13. Just A Gigolo/ I Ain’t Got Nobody 14. Steppin’ Out With My Baby 15. Eager Beaver 16. Is You Is Or Is You Ain’t My Baby 17. Soul Bossa 18. Mack The Knife 19. Now You Has Jazz 20. New York New York 21. Il Silenzio